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Bogle wins 2015 cheap wine poll

And it wasn’t even close, with Bogle more than doubling second place Falesco Vitiano to win the 2015 cheap wine poll. This is Bogle’s second consecutive victory, and its second in the poll’s three-year history.

That Bogle did so well again speaks to not only the company’s commitment to quality, but to its availability. Bogle combines value with a huge retail presence — as one commenter wrote, “it may be the best wine one can buy in gas stations in Mineola, Texas, as well as Princeton, Maine.” Most cheap wines do only one or the other, and some don’t even do that.

Which, apparently, is the case with Two-buck Chuck. The Trader Joe’s brand has finished last every year, but I guess that it has sold more 600 million cases over the past decade is some consolation to the retailer.

The biggest surprise? That Barefoot did so poorly, finishing seventh after coming in second last year. In addition, given how many people Google sends to the blog to read about Barefoot, that the brand didn’t pick up any of those votes this year makes its performance even more shocking. Barefoot overload, perhaps?

Not surprising? That Yellow Tail and Cupcake finished eighth and ninth. I added them this year not because I thought they would do well, but to include more well-known brands. That they did so poorly speaks to why they sell — the former is cheap, and the latter is cute. Quality doesn’t have much to do with it.

This year’s results are below, and you can find the 2014 and 2013 polls here and here. The 2016 poll will return next year at this time, and I’ll include a couple of suggestions from the comments. And is it time to retire Bogle and let someone else win?Business Lists on Ranker

10 thoughts on “Bogle wins 2015 cheap wine poll”

I tried Bogle wines about 2 years ago based on recommendations here, and they are consistently favorites, especially the petite syrah and old vine zin. In PA, they tend to be more in the $12-$14 range rather than under $10, but they are worth the extra couple dollars.

Bogle certainly makes a case for being the best overall line that is widely available at this price point. I often turn to them because I know i’ll be happy with the quality and price. I consider the Mcmanis line to be very similar in quality and price if not so widely available.

I had hoped to try some of the offering this year that I haven’t had before without much luck. Spec’s in Houston was sold out of Chateau Bonnet Red which I guess is a good sign. They suggested Chateau Trocard as a replacement. They didn’t have Falesco Vitiano but recommended Vina Comprero as a comparable wine. I bought both and enjoyed them well enough but probably won’t be adding them to my regular rotation. They had Rene Barbier but only in 1.5 L sizes so I passed since I don’t like leaving a bottle unfinished. Needless to say last weekend was a fun one thanks to the Wine Curmudgeon!

I find Barefoot to be a bit “meh” and a bottle of Yellow Tail Cabernet is one of the few wines I found to be undrinkable and poured out (oh the shame). As far as Two Buck Chuck I find Trader Joe’s sister company Aldi’s Winking Owl line to be better. The Merlot and Shiraz are quite quaffable.

Have you considered adding Oak Grove or maybe even Woodbridge? Maybe breaking the poll into two parts where one part is widely available brands and the other are lesser known wines?

The pricing for Peirano doesn’t fit the poll, given that it’s closer to $15 in most of the country. The other problem is that the wines are not as well made as they used to be, when The Other was in the $10 Hall of Fame,

While Bogle is, by far, the best of the 10 listed, there is an ocean of good wine available at $10 – $12. Columbia Crest H3 comes to mind as does Chateau Ste. Michelle, along with recent efforts by Gnarly Head, 3 Rings from Australia, and many others.

Your poll last year inspired me to do my own blind taste test of some of my favorite $10 wines (actually I go up to $12 because everything is a buck or two more here in TN, including Bogle). The goal was to pick my own favorite brands before the wine in grocery stores sales start this coming summer.

Sadly I didn’t make it through all the varietals of all the brands I chose, but Bogle and Columbia Crest were my favorites, followed by McManis, 14 Hands, and Tilia. I really wanted to try the Chateau Bonnet and Falesco Vitiano but I can’t find them stocked here, and I have yet to special order them. Hopefully our selection improves once the grocery stores start carrying wine, though I’m not holding my breath. Now I’m interested to see how Columbia Crest does next year.

Agreed all around. And on the availability side, Bogle is half of the “United States” selection at one of the two major wine shops in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Sebastiani is the other half. I kid you not.)